Raft parking for boat

ABSTRACT

A raft that can be moored to a marina dock or wharf that is designed to serve as a parking place for a boat and comprises an upper platform, four air tanks that are attached to the underside corners of the said upper platform, and a set of pipes that connect the tanks to a control spigot used to fill and empty air into and from the tanks. The raft (or part of it: back or side part) can be submerge in the water and set afloat again by emptying or filling the tanks with air, accordingly.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention refers to a raft that is designed to serve as a parking place for motor boats.

BACKGROUND ART

Motor boats are widely used in many places throughout the world for sports, leisure, work and various other purposes. After each use, it is customary to remove the boat from the water and park it on land. It is very important to remove the boat from the water after each use. When the boat has an internal motor, it is very important to remove it from the water since, over time, the water will ruin the motor. When the boat has an external motor, the motor may be tilted up out of the water, but the extended immersion of the boat in the water damages the external, bottom part of the boat due, among other things, to the accumulation of algae and shellfish. include the relatively high cost of parking places on land and the trouble and nuisance of removing the boat from the water to the parking space and lowering it back into the water when required. The present invention offers an appropriate response to the above-mentioned problems.

THE INVENTION

The main objectives of the present invention are: (a) to provide a raft that can be moored to a dock or wharf in any marina, anchorage or port; (b) to provide a raft, as mentioned, that can be submerged in the water and set afloat again using flotation tanks; (c) to provide a raft, as mentioned, that serves as a permanent parking space for a boat, and at the same time enables the user to lower the boat into the water by submerging the raft in the water, and raising the boat out of the water by setting the raft afloat.

The raft (1), subject of the present invention, is designed to be moored to a dock or wharf and to serve as a parking place for a boat [a raft is a platform that floats on the water using floatation devices or air tanks]. The raft (1) comprises an upper platform (2), air tanks (3) that are used to control the flotation of the raft, and a set of pipes (4) used to fill the tanks with air, and empty them, according to need.

The dimensions of the upper platform (2) of the raft (1) correspond to the size of the relevant boat. When the invention is implemented on a standard motor boat, the platform (2) should be 8 m. long, 4 m. wide, and several cm. thick, according to the material it is made of. Nevertheless, the invention and application cover other dimensions as well. The platform can be made of metal, wood, plastic and other materials. Nevertheless, the platform can and should be composed of a metal frame with wooden boards attached to it, like a common marina dock, as depicted in Drawing No. 1.

The air tanks (3) are attached to the underside of the platform (2) and are designed to set the raft (1) afloat. When the invention is implemented on a standard motor boat, the raft (1) should include four tanks (3) each of which has a volume of 1 cu.m. The tanks (3) are attached to the four corners of the underside of the platform (2), as depicted for instance in Drawing No. 2.

Each of the tanks (3) is impervious except for a hole (31) in the bottom of the tank (3). The diameter of the bottom hole (31) should be about 20 cm. so as to enable the raft (1) to be submerged and set afloat quickly, according to need. The tanks (3) can be made of a rigid plastic that is resistant to water damage over time, and should each be wrapped in a metal net for protection and to help attach it to the underside of the platform (2).

The top of each tank (3) is equipped with a pipe (4) used to fill the tank with air and to empty it. Each of the pipes (4) runs from the tank (3) to the control point (42) located at the front of the platform (2) facing the dock or wharf. The end of each pipe (4) is equipped, at the control point (42), with a spigot (41). It is recommended that a safety spigot (44) also be located at the other end, adjacent to the tank (3), as depicted, for instance, in Drawing No. 3.

Opening the spigot (41) when the raft is afloat: Opening the spigot (41) when the raft is afloat (in other words when the tank is full of air) causes the air to empty out of the tank (3) and to fill with water, which is introduced into the tank through the bottom hole (31). It is therefore recommended that the diameter of the bottom hole (31) be relatively large so as to enable quick introduction of water into the tank (3).

Opening the spigot (41) and filling the tanks (3) with air when the raft is submerged: Opening the spigot (41) when the raft is submerged (in other words when the tank is filled with water) and connecting the pipe (4) to a source of air (5) causes the tank (3) to fill with air, which in turn forces the water out through the bottom hole (31).

Pipe system (4): In order to streamline the use of the raft (1), a pipe should run from each tank (3) to the control point (42). The location of the control point (42) is such that the user has convenient and fast access to it at all times and in any situation (for instance when the raft is afloat or submerged or when the boat is on the raft). Each of the four pipes (4) [the number of pipes corresponds to the number of tanks (3)] extends from the respective tank to the control point and has a spigot (41) at its end. The four ends of the pipes (4) are joined together by a main pipe (43), which is connected to the compressed air source (5).

The raft is used as follows: The raft (1) is moored to a dock or wharf. Drawing No. 4 depicts the raft (1) whereby it is moored to a dock. In order to lift the boat onto the back part of the raft (1), the two rear tanks must be emptied of air so that the back part of the raft is submerged, as depicted for instance in Drawing No. 5. In this state, the boat can be lifted onto the raft, as depicted for instance in Drawing No. 6. The upper platform (2) can and should be equipped with a frame (6) on which the boat is placed. At this stage, the raft is set afloat by filling the rear tanks with air which causes the raft to fully float (horizontally) with the boat on it, as depicted for instance in Drawing No. 7. The ability to control each of the tanks (3) separately enables the user to balance the raft (1) when the distribution of weight on it is not even.

The compressed air source (5) can be a compressor, a standard air tank used for diving, or an electric pump such as those that operate on 12V or 24V and are designed to inflate pool floats.

Owning and using the raft (1), subject of the present invention, enables boat owners and holders to rent a permanent mooring space for the raft alongside a dock or wharf (in many cases this is less expensive than renting parking space on land), and to lift and lower the boat out of and into the water without requiring towing services as is currently customary. In some cases, the safety spigots (44) can be closed to prevent the air from exiting the tanks (3) and thus to prevent the raft (1) from being submerged due to the opening of the spigots (41).

The raft (1) does not have to be moored to a dock or a wharf and can even be situated in mid sea. In addition, the raft (1) can serve, as mentioned, as a parking space in the regular sense, and as well as a floating platform for repairs, renovations, paint jobs, installation of parts, and in fact for any operation that requires the boat to be removed from the water. The raft can be used as a parking space for boats, jet skis and in fact any small watercraft. Since the raft can be tilted in any direction, it can be used to lift high watercrafts out of the water or to lift and lower watercrafts out of and into the water to and from high docks, accordingly. It is also possible to park several jet skis on the raft during competitions, when it is slanted sideways, and thus avoid damages due to the introduction of sand and pebbles into the propellers and motors.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Drawing No. 1 depicts the upper platform (2).

Drawing No. 2 depicts the upper platform (2) as viewed from below, along with four tanks (3) that are attached to it.

Drawing No. 3 depicts the tanks (3) and the pipe system (4) with the spigots (41), (43) and (44).

Drawing No. 4 depicts the raft (1) whereby it is moored to a wharf and in full floating position.

Drawing No. 5 depicts the raft (1) whereby it is moored to a wharf with its back part submerged.

Drawing No. 6 depicts the raft (1) whereby it is moored to a wharf with its back part submerged and is carrying a boat.

Drawing No. 7 depicts the raft (1) whereby it is moored to a wharf in full floating position and is carrying a boat. 

1. A raft that can be moored to a marina dock or wharf that is designed to serve as a parking place for a boat and comprises an upper platform, air tanks that are attached to the underside of the said upper platform, and a set of pipes that connect the said tanks to a control point and are used to fill and empty air into and from the said tanks, enabling the user to submerge the raft (or part of it: back or side part) into the water and set it afloat again by emptying or filling the tanks with air, accordingly. 